Rafa rules centre court

Stanislas Wawrinka managed to push the first set to a tough tiebreak, though it ultimately went Nadal's way. It was smooth sailing from there on for Nadal as he easily won the second set, defeating Wawrinka 7-6 (12), 6-3.  

"I had a few mistakes in the tiebreak, a backhand smash and an easy volley, but I still played well," said Nadal. "I played one like that here a few years ago. There's a lot of pressure on every point but if you win it gives you confidence."

Earlier today Nadal's top competitor, No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic, faced-off in an afternoon match against Julien Benneteau. The heat became a factor for Djokovic in the second set, but he was able to pull through to defeat Benneteau 7-5, 7-5.

"It was obvious that on the court I wasn't feeling the best, but I overcame it," said Djokovic. "He was playing well. He's a tough guy. But when I needed to, I was hitting some winners and really going for the shots. That's a positive thing about today's match, that I didn't step back and wait for him to make a mistake."

In Canadian action, Peter Polansky carried the weight of the entire nation on his shoulders as he took to the court in his second round match against Romania's Victor Hanescu. The first round was off to a rough start for Polansky, but he remained competitive by climbing his way to 4-4 after being down three games. Polansky fought a tough battle, but eventually lost a close match 6-4, 7-6 (4).

Andy Murray took the first step towards defending his title by defeating Xavier Malisse 7-5, 6-2. Murray proved his power by hitting seven aces and taking advantage of the Belgian's five double faults. Next up, the champion will face off against Gael Monfils in the third round. Monfils could not be broken as he played a superior game against Thiemo De Bakker, beating the Dutchman 7-5, 6-3. As both men have played well so far in the tournament, there is no doubt that this will be an exciting afternoon matchup tomorrow.

David Nalbandian earned a lop-sided victory over Tommy Robredo this afternoon in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0. The win extended his streak to 10 matches, which began with a Davis Cup victory over Mikhail Youzhny. The Argentinean will try to make it 11 when he faces Robin Soderling tomorrow morning first up on Centre Court.

Source: rogerscup.com